Roeder Sacked by Norwich

Glen Roeder has just lost his job as manager of Norwich City. I got a lot of flack from Norwich fans when I wrote in my Eastern Daily Press column that the club wold come to regret his appointment. The insults which Norwich fans left on this blog had to be seen to be believed. Since then, I have had a trickle of emails telling me I was right all along. Last Saturday, this is what I wrote in my latest EDP column…

Back when Glenn Roeder was appointed manager of Norwich City I issued some dire warnings about his abilities and the likelihood that he would get off to a great start but then the troubles would really start. The abuse I got via email and my blog from Norwich City fans was breathtaking. My downbeat predictions came as a result of my own experience of Mr Roeder when he managed my club West Ham. Since then, I have had a trickle of emails from Norwich fans all saying the same thing: “I was one of those who slagged you off when you wrote bad things about Glenn Roeder, but I now realize you are right.” It was Enoch Powell who said that all political careers end in failure. The same could be said of football managers. There are very few who have the wisdom and self knowledge to get out at the top. Most are sacked in after appalling failure. In Roeder’s case he has left every club he has managed in a far worse position than when he took over. At Norwich he has totally reformed the team and despite bringing in some good players has been unable to get the most out of them. I have just read the autobiography of former Arsenal and England player Kenny Sansom, who was Roeder’s number two at Watford. Any football club director who reads that chapter would never give Roeder a job in football again. At the time of writing, Norwich lie a precarious two points above the relegation trap door. The directors now have a big judgement call to make. Do they give him until the end of the season or do they risk things getting worse? I know which way my decision would fall.

Call me Mystic Meg, if you like. Did I see a cab for Mr Curbishley heading up the A11?

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 14th, 2009 at 1:28 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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Not surprised about Roeder at all although do not agree with some of the stick he got at UP which was below the belt.

Another subject for our experts on all things WHU – just read an article on BBC Sport website that Derby could smash away fans record at Old Trafford if they take more than 11,500 which was set by Coventry. Did we not officially have 13,000 in the famous “let’s all do the Barthez” FA Cup game won by our Italian maestro Paulo ??? It seemed like we had 100,000 there that day ! Or are BBC mistakenly talking about League Cup only ?

To be honest he is much to soft to be a manager, remember watching some tv doc on him at Newcastle, He gave the players respect and everything they asked for and was never harsh about under performing, some self belief tactic apparently!!

I remember the game at Upton Park, I cant remember the opposition, when following the whistle Roeder was taken ill with his brain tumor.
During that game, the abuse that was hurled at him was appalling in fact sickening. I remember sitting there with my son thinking who would put themselves in the position of being a kicking post for a stadium full of “supporters”.
On hearing about the seriousness off his illness, I have often wondered if the pressure of that game brought things prematurely to a head.
Glen was not the best manager, but he is a decent hard working man who I felt always spoke with dignity to the press and inwardly seemed to suffer more in defeat than most managers, I wish him luck.

Glen Roeder was the fall guy for the previous West Ham regime. He was never up to the West Ham job , but he was a convenient option for the the board after sacking Redknapp. I understand that he is quite a likable character, particularly popular with younger players. I well remember a young Joe Cole calling for him to be appointed full time to the manager’s post, after his initial caretaker appointment.

Yeah, and who was one of the first out the door when the same Roeder eventually got us relegated, yes the same Joe Cole! But seasoned pros like Di Canio saw through his limited coaching and managerial credentials. He does not cut an impressive figure and I can understand it if he suffers from authority problems in relation to his players.

The thing that puzzles me is why large clubs like West Ham and Newcastle came to appoint him in the first place. Probably just a case of being in the right place, at the right time. However, it always ends the same way, the sack!

What do we make of this Bojinov part-exchange story? I do not see it, the player has been struggling badly withan achilles injury. Would Zola exchange Bellamy for a player that, in the short term, at least is unlikely to be fit? A very risky deal I would say.

If Zola really did fancy the player, surely he would want prooff of fitness and form before making a move?

If Carling done football managers,Roeder wouldn’t be it! Probably the worst ever football manager i have ever seen.You only have to hear the man talk for 10 seconds and realise hes not a manager.What makes me laugh is the Chairman who continue to employ managers such as Roeder after another no doubt big payoff for failing yet again.

Hey Chandros, unlike you to not see whats going on! If he’s been out injured and is somewhat prone to deep and meaningful relationships with his physio, it would seem the ideal signing for us.
Who was the last big signing we made that didn’t end up with a decent long term injury.

Glenn Roeder always struck me as a decent and sensitive man, which are hardly attributes for being a football manager. He is another in a long line of examples of guys who did good jobs as a Number 2 or with youth teams but were out of their depth in the top job. Joe Cole, Michael Carrick and Jermaine Defoe always had good things to say about him from their time in the youth set-up at West Ham. He was offered the manager’s job with us as a cheap option but at what was certainly a huge pay hike for him. Most people would have accepted it as we always believe we can do the next job up, Understanding your level of competency and accepting it are two of life’s difficult quandries. And most of us don’t get it until we go beyond that level and are found out.

God, I remember those threads so well, Iain. In fact they are all there for anyone to read in the archive section of this blog I guess.
This is absolutely no surprise whatsoever, Roeder has to be one of the least publically charismatic managers I have ever seen and this was borne out by his infamous rabbit in headlights approach to football coaching during the games – the old crossed arms, tight lipped routine which just appeared to lack any inspirational qualities whatsoever.

You’ve done it now Chandros! Although I wouldn’t say he was a BIG signing, although he is now doing well.
You will have to think long and hard for a treatment room dodger who has signed and played for the majority of the season. Big name/money signings only.

SJ – Whilst most of the time I try to not l pay any credence to what I read in the rags, this one does worry me. It says to me that the manager (and indeed WHU) has realised that a team that is willing to pay 100 million quid for Kaka and then pay him wages of 500,00k a week – even if the amounts are HALF that, it’s still way, way, more than obscene – said team, will happily up the original offer(s) to 15 million quid, plus players, for Bellamy. So my thinking is (please let me be wrong) Mr Z is having to consider which player to bring in from City, as part of the deal that takes Bellamy the other way. I just hope Bellamy sees beyond the greenbacks and rewards us for our patience as WHU nursed him through the injuries. I fear not, as loyalty means nish nowadays .

Feel kind of sorry for him. He’s just not a ‘winner’ and one of those unfortunate guys who doesn’t exude confidence of any shape or form. He must have seen the writing on the wall and when the ‘can we have a chat Glenn’ call came, would have known exactly what was coming. He should get himself a solid, second in command role and forget attempting to be the front man. There’s surely only so much disappointment a man can take in his career…

irontc, good to see you pointing out to Sportmail’s Ian Ridley the difference between third party ownership and third party influence! I think that I am banned fom posting comments the Sportsmail website?

I wouldn’t read too much into Zola’s interest in Bojinov, apart from the fact that Zola likes him (if he did indeed call him) as a player. Bellamy is irreplaceble on current form and the manager seemed to confirm this him self last w/e.

I think he is ideally suited to the present West Ham way of playing and even seems to be striking up a partnership with Carlton!

I was confident that none of our ‘big’ players would be sold pre-window and nothing that has happened since has made me change my mind.

I would like to see Neill & Faubert go and a new RB bought with the proceeds.

I hear the Rodent is a decent fella, But I can never forgive him for getting the most telented team ever relegated. It would be foolish to say the likes of Joe cole ect would still be at the club but after the Rodent stint, we was left with no body.

That would not surprise me irontc, Mailsports appears to be staffed by hard core of Hammers haters and Sheffield Utd fellow travellers. I was surprised to see that Martin Samuels has left The Times to join that crew. Still, he appears to have a free hand in his new column, so why not! At least an alternative view on Tevez will be present amongst the paper’s sports staff.

I have posted numerous times in response to articles (all forthright in my views, but not unreasonable or abusive) but never seem to get published! Mind you, I was on another Hammers website recently and there was a number of fans irate at what they allege to be Sportsmail’s censorship of anti-Sheffield Utd or Sportsmail posts. So, I am not alone in arriving at that conclusion.

However, Sportsmail seems quite impartial in comparison with recent Daily Mirror coverage! Completely over the top and failing to meet the most basic journalistic standards. Stan Collymore is their star columnist !!

The other guy who regularly digs out the Hammers is the Mirror betting pundit. He was the one who famously predicted that the 2006 FA Cup Final would not be a contest, a heavy Liverpool win was inevitable before a ball had even been kicked! We all know how wrong he was proven by subsequent events don’t we! lol.

With the best will and intention Glenn Roeder should realise he’s not cut out for Football Management. Either that or he should take an assertiveness course. He just doesn’t have the charisma to inspire/motivate/engage with professional footballers at the highest level. I question that If he was managing my sunday league side anyone would listen to him.

Why doesn’t the bloke become a coach or a number 2 to a manager? I think he could do well at that.

As for Curbs and Norwich I think it would suit him down to the ground. He’s proved he can cut it with a low budget and I think he’d do the same there. I’m sure Norwich fans would settle for Premier League football even if it meant mid table.

They say in life “If you want something badly enough then you’ll get it.” Glenn Roeder, to his credit, wanted sooo badly to be a successful manager for West Ham but I don’t think it was ever going to happen for him.

Wolves have signed Kyle Reid on loan for the remainder of the season. It is obviously a good loan opportunity for him to gain further experience. However, it also, once again, raises the issue of who is going to provide width, particularly on the left hand side? I would have thought that, with Etherington and Boa Morte gone, this would have been his opportunity to step up to the plate.

Perhaps Zola thinks that he is not ready? We can only assume that someone is lined up. We shall see!

Interesting take by Mr Dale on Roeder’s demise, but the piece is spoilt by the usual lack of accuracy: GR left both Newcastle & Norwich in BETTER league positions than when he arrived, and certainly City have a better squad than the one he inherited – a 2pts-from-11 games squad was turned into one that got 27pts-from-12.
Roeder’s personality (as much a contributor to his downfall than any lack of coaching ability) has clearly been shaped by his health issues, and I challenge anyone to endure what West Ham fans threw at him and not feel that most of the world is against them.
As a serial failure at politics (according to Wiki) it is surprising that Mr Dale should be chucking rocks with such abandon.
OTBC

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About Iain Dale

I'm a season ticket holder in the Dr Martens Lower and originally come from Saffron Walden in Essex, although I now live in Tunbridge Wells. By day I am a political writer and commentator for various media organisations including the Daily Telegraph, the BBC and Sky News. I am also publisher of the new monthly magazine called TOTAL POLITICS. I want this blog to be a mixture of gossip, humour, reporting and analysis - with the odd rant thrown in too. My other blog is a political one at http://iaindale.blogspot.com and if West Ham Till I Die attracts half as many readers as that, I'll be very happy.